|
Listen to this text  |
Editor’s Note: This story was initially revealed on Tessa Lau’s Twitter feed. We have reprinted it right here with Lau’s permission. It particulars how Dusty Robotics identified and glued a uncommon {hardware} bug on a few of its FieldPrinter robots, which may autonomously print full-scale fashions onto building surfaces in a fraction of the time it takes a handbook format crew with a chalk line.
About a 12 months in the past, we began getting stories from the sector about undesirable conduct when our robots had been turned on. On uncommon events, they’d behave unpredictably. Our engineering and CS group investigated all such stories to attempt to uncover the basis trigger. Every time a report got here in from the sector, we’d instantly troubleshoot. We’d deliver the robotic again in home to attempt to replicate the failure.
We couldn’t reproduce it, however we did provide you with a principle for why it was taking place. It was the coupler that related the motor to the wheel. If this got here free, the wheel wouldn’t flip when it ought to, and the robotic would drive unpredictably.
So we redesigned the coupler system in order that it wouldn’t slip below regular operation, and rolled out the repair to all robots. With many in clients’ arms, it took some time to cycle by way of all of them.
We additionally developed a subject repair that concerned taking the robotic aside and tightening the coupler. The subsequent time a buyer referred to as in with this downside, we had them apply this repair. And it labored! Problem solved.
Fast ahead to 2022. Last month, we began getting stories once more of robots behaving erratically within the subject. Again we introduced the robots again in home and once more couldn’t reproduce the conduct.
This should be a brand new downside, we thought. After all, we had mounted the couplers and hadn’t had any coupler-related points for the previous 9 months. Our group began systematically debugging all different attainable causes.
Dusty Robotics put a number of of its FieldPrinter robots right into a fridge to assist diagnose a {hardware} bug. | Credit: Dusty Robotics
We assigned an intern to attempt to reproduce the issue. Since it appeared to occur very first thing within the morning, perhaps it was associated to the power-up sequence. The intern turned on and off a robotic lots of of occasions. It by no means confirmed the issue.
Then somebody had the good thought to place a robotic within the fridge. We pulled it out the following morning, and … it exhibited the issue. For 10 minutes. Then it stopped. Could it have one thing to do with temperature?
But not all robots exhibited the conduct after being refrigerated. And 10 minutes didn’t give us a variety of time to debug earlier than the issue went away. So we stuffed the fridge with robots and took them out one after the other to experiment on. The kitchen grew to become an OR, with robotic cadavers unfold out on working tables.
Some of the experiments concerned measuring what was taking place contained in the bot whereas it was chilly. At one level I discovered a scope exterior the fridge, measuring the vitals of the affected person inside.
Finally, we found the issue. One of the off-the-shelf elements we use behaved out of spec at sure temperatures, producing a loud sign. We reverse-engineered the element and located that eradicating two resistors mounted it. Problem solved, for actual this time.
Turns out that final 12 months’s coupler issues had the identical root trigger. While folks had been opening up the robotic and tightening the coupler, the robotic would heat up. By the time they put it again collectively, the issue would have gone away. It had nothing to do with couplers in any respect.
By the time we had rolled out the coupler “fix” to all robots, the climate had warmed up sufficient throughout the nation that the difficulty didn’t reoccur. We thought we had mounted it, when truly spring mounted it.
When you notice that there are lots of of elements within the easiest robotic, and each can have unpredictable failure modes like this one, that’s why {hardware} is difficult.
About the Author
Tessa Lau is an skilled entrepreneur with experience in AI, machine studying, and robotics. She is at the moment the CEO and founding father of Dusty Robotics, which develops robot-powered instruments for the fashionable building workforce. Prior to Dusty, Lau was CTO/co-founder at Savioke, the place she orchestrated the deployment of 75+ supply robots into resorts and high-rises.
Previously, she was a analysis scientist at Willow Garage, the place she developed easy interfaces for private robots. Lau additionally spent 11 years at IBM Research working in enterprise course of automation and information seize. She was acknowledged as one of many Top 5 Innovative Women to Watch in Robotics by Inc. in 2018 and one in all Fast Company’s Most Creative People in 2015. She holds a PhD in Computer Science from the University of Washington.